Enterprise ABCs
by Writer of souls
Summary: Spirk, Scones, Chulu...the ins and outs of the enterprise, explored with the alphabet.
1. Spirk

A is for Alien.

When they had first met, Spock was so fucking Alien to Jim Kirk that he had to sit back for a moment and watch him arguing that he had cheated just to try and figure him out.

It didn't help, and he wouldn't get any further with his endeavor until a year and a half later, when Spock kissed him for the first time.

B is for Betrothed.

Spock would have laughed had he not been strictly in control of his emotions. His captain was just staring at him with a look of disbelief on his face.

"We're...What?"

Spock steeled himself for the explosive reaction, the fear and the anger.

"Betrothed, we are to get married."

Three.

Two.

One.

"Bullshit."

That wasn't the expected reaction.

C is for Comfort.

When Spock didn't show up, not even later in his shift, Kirk was worried.

Heading to the Vulcan's quarters, he punched in the override code, the doors opening quickly as if sensing his worry.

Spock was curled up on his bed, tears streaming unnoticed down his face as his hands gripped the blanket tightly.

Kirk crossed the room quickly, sliding into the bed next to Spock, wrapping his arms around the Vulcan's slim waist.

"Spock...I'll be here to comfort you when you need it, you know that."

Spock nodded, tears still falling down his face.

D is for Devoted.

Spock was absolutely devoted to Jim Kirk.

Every waking moment was spent watching over him in some way, making sure that he was still alive and well.

When Spock himself did not go down with the landing party, he monitored Kirk's vital signs, his frequencies, his heartbeat.

McCoy could often be heard muttering about "Obsessed green blooded hobgoblin." but Spock didn't care.

As long as his T'hy'la came back safely and was once more in his arms, he could ignore any of the worlds.

E is for Eternity.

It wasn't fair.

James T Kirk would eventually die, probably when he was somewhere around fifty.

But Spock...Spock would die somewhere in the next couple of centuries.

Spock would live for what seemed like eternity, and James T Kirk could not follow him into something like that.

It wasn't fair at all.

F is for Faithful.

Spock could never imagine being with someone other then his golden haired captain, not anymore.

Uhura was a good friend of his still, but they had never really worked out.

Even when Jim died, Spock would still remain faithful to him and his memory.

G is for Gallant.

Jim smiles when Spock comes to his rescue.

Not just because it means that he'll once more see another day, but because it makes him feel like he isn't the only one with these feelings.

He smiles even wider when Spock refuses to leave his side, no matter if he's unconscious or so weirdly out of his own mind that he can't distinguish his doctor from his mother.

Spock is his gallant knight in shining armor.

And he's alright with that.

H is for History.

Spock knows that their history is different, that the older version of himself is not him exactly, but he can't help but find himself irrationally jealous over the fact that Spock Prime had a loving relationship with Kirk Prime.

Illogically, he seethes every time Spock Prime gets within a few feet of Jim, a deep primal anger building up and taking over every sense, destroying completely his ability to think clearly.

I is for Ion storm.

Every time they passed through an Ion storm, Jim realized, something was bound and determined to go wrong.

Take this for instance.

He was currently staring at a wizened version of one of his best friends, who was surrounded by a happy family.

Leonard H McCoy, also known as Bones, was staring at his older self.

"Captain, We appear to have been sent fourty years into the future due to the transporter malfunction." Spock said, drawing attention to himself.

The older version of McCoy looked at them carefully, eyes settling on Spock, then wandering over to Kirk. "You're not exactly wrong, but you're still not right, ya damned green blooded hobgoblin. I believe it's fourty-seven years, and that it's always the transporters fault."

A young woman stared at them all, blue eyes wide behind her glasses.

"Granpa? Are these the ones you worked with?"

McCoy nodded. "This would be them." he muttered, turning to smile at a man with graying hair, who looked familiar, but Kirk couldn't place him.

Older McCoy looked at them, then back at the other man. "Feel up to one more mission, Monty?" he grinned.

The man smiled. "Ah'd be willin ta help 'em get back ta their ship, yeah."

Bones looked shocked at his older self, mouth gaping. "Is he...Is he Scotty?" he asked, incredulously.

Suddenly a voice rang out. "Hey, Bones! You here?"

All heads of the younger crew of the Enterprise snapped towards it, eyes wide. Coming through the doorway was an older Kirk, with an older Spock in tow.

This Kirk was getting on in years, but he was still recognizable. He took one look at the younger crew and smiled. "I remember what's happening. An Ion storm messed with the transporter, and so you're here now."

Younger Spock nodded. "That is correct."

Briefly touching his fingers to Older Spock's, Older Kirk walked over to them. "If I remember right, me and Scotty have to help you back."

Younger Spock went stiff when their fingers touched, watching his older self intently. All he could see was a deep seated relaxation and a comfortable aura.

His older self not only welcomed the touch, he seemed to yearn for it.

For now, he would keep the information from his captain that the finger touch had been a Vulcan kiss.

J is for Joking.

McCoy winced as Kirk's shout echoed through the entire ship.

"I'm WHAT?"

Shaking his head, McCoy sighed. "You're pregnant Jim, due to that pointy eared bastard."

"Please say you're joking."

"Wish I was."

K is for Kaput.

"Keptin, chances of zis maneuwer verking are wery small sir. Ve might not surwiwe."

James T Kirk grimaced, nodding at the young navigator. "Understood Chekov."

Chekov winced at the tone in the captain's voice.

Kirk looked towards Spock. "Spock, is there any chance of anything happening at the last second?"

"No sir, nothing."

Chekov's jaw dropped as he looked at the screens.

"Sir, ze chances of zis happening are small, kaput, nada...But ve are pulling away from ze grawitational pull of ze sun, ve are going to live through zis."

Kirk sat back in his chair, jaw hanging.

"Unbelievable..."

L is for Level-headed.

"'Pock..." came the weak whisper of his captain, distracting the Vulcan from his current mission of getting the blonde back to the Enterprise.

"'Pock, I don' 'hink ahm gettin' back..."

Spock looked down at the man in his arms, not caring about the blood staining his blue uniform shirt purple.

"Captain, I am doing everything in my power to make sure you return to your ship alive and well."

Kirk snorted, blood welling up faster from the wound on his arm, merging with the blood coming from his chest and cheek.

Even in the face of danger, Spock was the more level-headed of the two.

M is for Mirror-verse.

Kirk looked around, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings, then turned to McCoy.

"What the hell are we like in this dimension?"

McCoy shook his head. "Don't know Jim, but I do know that we might have a few issues getting back."

Scotty nodded in affirmative. "He's right cap'n, the longer we stay, the less ahm certain we can get back."

Kirk sighed, then looked down at his uniform. "This place is weird..."

Uhura snorted. "We're in a mirror-verse and all you're weird-ed out by is your uniform?"

Kirk grinned. "Of course! This outfit is horrible, it's a bright green vest and has a gold sash. There's no sleeves."

Uhura rolled her eyes while Scotty watched McCoy poke around the sickbay.

McCoy winced as he picked up a letter and read it, shooting a quick look attached to a blush at Scotty.

N is for Notional.

Spock closed his eyes, groaning in frustration.

Opening them again, he looked around once more, trying to think of a way to escape and get back to the Enterprise.

"Oohh, thinking of leaving me so soon?" crooned the soft voice of his captain. "But we haven't gotten anywhere yet."

He looked once more at the man, shaking his head. "You are nothing but an illusion, you are only notional, nothing real."

The illusion smiled sadly. "I know, but you can at least pretend you have him for real."

Spock looked carefully at the illusion. "It is illogical to pretend that I have a romantic relationship with James Kirk when all you are is a product of my mind."

The illusion nodded slowly. "True...Always thinking with logic, aren't you?"

Spock nodded. "Yes."

O is for Overwrought.

Spock walked slowly through the ship, eyes cast downwards as he went, feet making almost no noise.

He was still thinking about the illusion back on the planet, the one that had willingly set itself in front of him, his for the taking, in the form of his captain.

He punched in the code for the door to his quarters, the soft whooshing noise prompting him to take another couple of steps forward.

He wasn't alone.

Snapping his head up, he took in the view of his captain, lying on his back, splayed across the bed.

His mind flashed briefly to the illusion once more, body heating quickly.

"Spock, something's bothering you, you actually managed to show emotion today."

Spock inclined his head, determined not to let the captain see the flush of green across his cheeks. "Captain, I apologize for being overwrought."

"Spock...How many times have I told you to call me Jim?"

Spock gulped quietly.

P is for Philter.

Jim stared at his first officer, eyes wide as the Vulcan stalked closer to him.

"Jim..." he trailed off, eyes dilated to the point where the brown was almost drowned out by the black.

"Jim, I fear that the effects of the rain water on this planet are somewhat of a philter."

Jim blinked, confused. "A what?"

"A philter, what you would more commonly know as a love potion."

"Ah..."Jim gulped quietly, suddenly nervous. "What's going to happen?"

Spock stepped closer and Jim no longer had to wonder.

Q is for Qualified.

Spock stepped into the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Sir, I do believe that you should be resting still, not trying to remove yourself from this room."

Jim glanced up, wincing, bandages still covering his entire torso. "Spock, I'm getting bored in here..."

"I am aware, captain. However, I do believe that only Doctor McCoy is qualified to make the assessment that you are fit to leave."

R is for Redemption.

Jim sighed, watching Spock once more attempt to talk to Uhura.

When was he going to realize you can't get redemption for some things?

S is for Sight.

Spock watched as Jim felt around a corner, his heart crying out with anger at the sight of his T'hy'la stumbling blindly.

Stepping forward quickly, he grabbed Jim's hand, ignoring the squawk of indignation as the blonde man found himself being helped.

"Spock, I feel helpless already, do you have to make it worse?"

Spock brushed his pointer and middle fingers against Jim's own two. "Forgive me. I do not mean to make it worse, T'hy'la, I simply wish to help you."

Kissing his neck, Spock continued.

"When it is dark for you, I will be your sight."

Calming down, Kirk relented and let Spock guide him to a seat.

T is for Transporter.

Kirk holds his breath as the landing party beams back up after a large mishap with the transporter, one which had caused everything being sent up to disintegrate shortly after arriving.

It makes it worse for him, because Spock, SPOCK is part of this particular landing party, was the one leading it.

And damn it all, he had volunteered to go first and alone to see if the transporter was working right yet.

Jim watches, fearful, as Spock steps off the pad.

"Mister Spock, how wouldya be feelin' as o' now?"

It's at the two minute mark now and Spock shows no sign of falling apart.

"I am unharmed, Mister Scott."

Scotty smiles, then turns to Jim and nods.

Jim lets out his breath, hardly daring to believe it.

Spock was alright.

U is for Unborn.

Kirk sighed, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Stressful day Jim?"

Suddenly smiling, Jim turned to Spock. "Why do you ask if you already know the answer?"

Spock came closer, putting his arms around Jim's quickly rounding waist. "Doctor McCoy did say to take care of yourself, I find it most illogical to not take care of you myself, Jim."

Jim's hands found their way to the growing bump of his stomach, Spock's hands resting on top of his, both of them quiet as they held (as best they could) onto their unborn child.

V is for Vacation.

"James T Kirk, youngest captain in Star-Fleet...Is so ready for a vacation."

Kirk sighed, rubbing his closed eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He'd just finished the whole business with Nero, the Nerada, the future-Spock...And he was beyond ready for a mini vacation to just erase the fact that he'd had to deal with all of that. It wasn't enough that he'd had a hell of a time, but that he'd met his father's killer, the reason he himself had nearly died. A small amount of vacation time, hell even a mission with nothing eventful happening would be enough.

He sighed again, leaning back against the wall.

A vacation with his first officer would be nice, watch that muscled body moving in nothing but stuff that didn't involve work...

He shook his head.

Useless to dream about a vacation that would never happen, he should stick to dreaming about what he had learned from Spock-Prime's mind meld with him, the memories he had seen of their relationship.

His Spock would never be his, he just needed to adjust to that idea.

W is for Warm.

Kirk sighed, shivering.

The door to his quarters opened with a whoosh, admitting Spock. "Captain. I have come to ascertain the status of your comfort due to Mister Scott announcing the non-working status of the ship's heaters."

Kirk stared at him, still shivering. "Spock, for the love of everything, shut up and get over here...Hurry or I'll make that an order."

Spock inclined his head, eyes smiling. "Yes captain." he said as he sat down on the bed next to Kirk, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him.

Kirk sighed in relief. "Spock?"

"Yes captain?"

"You're warm..." he whispered.

X is for Xenophobic.

The planet they had beamed down to was a settlement of humans, one which had been established so long ago that there had been no contact between them and any other species since they had settled.

Which meant that, once Spock beamed down, he was treated with contempt and horror, the humans looking on in anger as he walked among them.

Kirk tried to explain, but suddenly it was like they had been transported back to the Earth year 1662, where the witch hunt had begun and madness had sunk in.

Which led to their current predicament.

Spock was tied to a pole, a fire bed built around the bottom.

Kirk, McCoy, Chekov, and some random ensign were being held back as one of the leaders of the settlement held a torch for all to see. "Tonight! We burn the demon!"

Kirk winced as the one holding him twisted his wrist as he squirmed.

He hated Xenophobic cultures.

He smiled as he felt the transporter start to work.

They must have missed their check in point, Scotty was beaming them up.

Which included the ever so slightly nervous looking Spock.

The moment they were back on the ship, Kirk went over to his friend, wincing at the large bruises around his wrists and covering his eyes. "You alright Spock?"

"I am well, Captain."

Kirk smiled. "We're not beaming back down there."

Y is for Young.

Spock-Prime chuckled as he watched his younger counterpart talk with a young James Kirk. There were so many things those two had yet to go through together, that they were going to strengthen their friendship with. They were yet to have many adventures, as they had just become part of one crew and captain and commander. He smirked as he realized something else. The younger versions had yet to face against the threat of Tribbles.

He sighed after he thought that. "Oh Jim..." he whispered, voice layered heavily with sorrow. "Jim, we've had so much time together, but I would give anything to have more, even if it was just to say goodbye...You should see your young self, it is a bit jolting to see you young and whole again, but it reminds me of when we first met."

Young Spock looked shocked, or as shocked as he would allow himself to look, at something Young Kirk said.

Spock-Prime smiled once more. "Jim...Were we really that oblivious when we were young? They've yet to realize that there is anything more between them than command position and friendship. If we were really that thick headed, I apologize."

Young Kirk smiled at Young Spock, his blue eyes (So different than Kirk-Prime's...) sparkling with mischief and happiness at something that Spock had said, lips parting slowly as he replied quietly, earning a Vulcan version of a smile.

"Jim..." Spock-Prime sighed with longing, still nimble fingers playing with the necklace that had a holo-vid in it, one that his Kirk had made for his birthday. "Oh Jim, youth might be wasted on the young, but these young need all the time they can have."

Spock nodded, acquiescing to a truth Kirk had mentioned.

"They are really like us, for all the difference's that Nero caused."

Z is for ZigZag.

Spock and Kirk liked to ZigZag between friends and friendly enemies.

One day, they would be working together perfectly on the bridge, the next they would be at each others throats. Even when playing chess, they would continue this behavior.

Kirk would snarl and show every emotion on the scale, Spock would tuck as many emotions away as he possibly could, and then coldly insult Kirk, driving the blonde mans rage higher and higher until it burst.

There was one time, however, when it burst in entirely the wrong way.

Kirk pressed Spock to a wall, his lips devouring the others, hands pressed to the wall and tangled in the Vulcan's hair.

Pulling back, he searched Spock's entirely surprised and shocked face, not even bothering to hide his emotions.

"You can pull back, you know...You can pretend this never happened, that I never touched you like this, and we can go back to the way we were, fighting and playing chess...You can forget..."

Spock blinked, looked at him, then blinked again. "Captain, you have forgotten to mention your own alternative. I fear you have left yourself out."

Kirk smiled sadly. "Because I don't have one...Even if you try to forget, I wouldn't be able to...But you can choose to push this aside, I won't let it affect our work."

Spock gave the man a look, raising an eyebrow. "Captain, I believe that if we were to enter a relationship of this kind, it would affect our work no matter what."

Kirk sighed, backing off and running a hand through his hair, looking down at the floor and starting to turn to walk out.

Spock laid a hand on his shoulder, a frown on his face. "Captain, I do not believe I told you that it would be affected in a negative way."

Kirk smiled.

"Does that mean you're willing to try? It won't be easy."

Spock rested a hand on his captain's shoulder, brown eyes searching blue. "Forgive me, Jim."

he whispered as he placed his hand on the mind meld contact points, leaning forward until his nose brushed Kirk's.

Kirk had a brief memory of an older Spock mind melding with him, but was suddenly blown away as he settled into the sensation. This was an entirely different thing, it felt like everything in his mind was stripped bare and thrown in front of the man entering his mind, but he trusted the Vulcan.

"This could be..." he was unaware which of them was saying this or thinking it. "The start of something beautiful."


	2. Scones

A is for Antiseptic.

McCoy rolled his eyes as he pulled out the tube of antiseptic, handing it over to Scotty. "You are to apply this twice a day, with CLEAN hands, which means no engine grease or anything of the sort on them, you need to have scrubbed your hands before you touch the wound, okay? If you don't, I will hypo-spray you into the next dimension."

Scotty grinned, wincing when his side twinged.  
>"Yes Doc."<p>

McCoy scowled. "You had better listen to me, not just brush me off."

"Doc." Scotty shook his head. "Ah'd never jus' brush yeh off."

B is for Bashful.

Scotty slid the light blue shirt of a medical officer up and off McCoy's shoulders, kissing the exposed skin as he went.

McCoy groaned, cheeks flushed and eyes near closed, as the engineer kissed his collarbone, a frustrated sigh escaping as he realized Scotty still had his own shirt on.

"Come on Scotty..." he whispered in the man's ear. "It's a little unfair for you to still be wearing a shirt..."

Scotty nuzzled his jaw. "Doc...Mah scars are naugh' a pretty sight..."

"I'm a doctor, I've seen scars before."

"Not like mine, Doc, burns scars are the wors'..." Scotty murmured, looking down to his feet.

"No need to be bashful Scotty."

C is for Coerced.

"Doc, yeh gotta come with meh!" Scotty whined, leaning over McCoy's desk and smiling.

All he got in return was a glare, followed by the good doctor removing his still slightly greasy hand from the pile of paperwork it had come to rest on.

Scotty leaned forward some more, nose nearly touching McCoy's. "Doc~..."

McCoy looked up at him, frowning. "I have paper work to do. And you have a wound to attend to, one which I promised hypo-spraying to eternity if you didn't take care of it I do believe."

"Leonard...Yeh've gottah lighten up! Yeh're work ethic is gonna kill you one day, and ah would prefer to have yeh alive and well."

McCoy sighed heavily, then pushed his paperwork aside and stood. "Alright, but if anyone asks, I was coerced."

Scotty smiled, linking their arms. "Would naugh' say anythin' different Doc."

D is for Drunk.

Their second time together, they were exceedingly, off their asses, no sight of tomorrow because the world's ending today, drunk. Scotty started it, coming to McCoy's room with a bottle of scotch and a few cups, with McCoy grabbing one of his own bottles when that ran out.

Somehow, they ended up on the bed, and somehow, everything managed to work right despite how drunk they had gotten.

The morning after, Scotty had to deal with a sore and hungover Leonard McCoy, who was just a little more sweet to the engineer than to anyone who visited sickbay that day, including a very confused (and shortly sore necked from a hypo-spray) James Kirk.

E is for Engineering.

Sometimes it seemed like there was always something going wrong for engineering, McCoy thought. Sometimes it seemed like Scotty would end up in sickbay almost everyday, with a worried McCoy looking over him. Scotty would sometimes be in there for a gash on his hand, his forehead, his arm, or something much worse, like being unconscious from a piece of metal whacking into his head hard enough to cause damage.

Sometimes all McCoy wanted was for his lover to switch jobs, or at least be more careful.

One time, he'd told him so, while in the middle of wrapping the man's hand in bandages.

"Yeh know Doc, if I were ta switch jobs, I'd be less happeh, and I wouldn' enjoy life so much."

McCoy rolled his eyes, tugging a little harder than needed on the bandage. "Then please, for the sake of my sanity, be a little more careful."

Scotty smiled. "A'hm just glad yeh notice Doc." he whispered as he leaned up, kissing McCoy softly.

No one would talk about the obvious signs of having been kissed that were present on the doctor, nor would anyone notice the spring in Scotty's step as he left sickbay.

Jim Kirk wouldn't tease McCoy about the kiss he'd witnessed, he was just happy that his friend was letting someone in.

F is for Fumbling.

They were in a closet once more, one of the only places they could go to get some time to themselves. Scotty fumbling for McCoy's pants fastening, McCoy fumbling for the edge of Scotty's shirt.

Scotty mumbled something about needing to come out to the captain so that they could have some decent time together, McCoy nodding softly, a whispered "Maybe..." coming out in the almost lightless closet.

They might tell the captain, but only if said man wouldn't reassign either of them.

They knew he probably wouldn't.

G is for Glorified.

"Damn it Scotty!" McCoy howled, anger evident on his face. "I'm a doctor, not a damned machine! You honestly think that I would care that you're in love with someone? We're friends, sometimes bedfellows, but you are free to stop that at any time if you so wished."

Scotty winced, crossing the room quickly. "Ah have somethin' ta say doc."

McCoy scowled, crossing his arms over his chest, breathing heavily as he heart beat fast.

He didn't want to lose this, he didn't want to lose his glorified fuck buddy to some faceless lady who served in engineering with the Scottish man.

"What if I don't want to hear it?" he growled, turning away.

Scotty sighed, finishing the crossing and pinning the good doctor to his desk, hands on his hips and mouth a hairs width away from the warm lips he loved so much. "Ah never said the one ah loved wasn' yeh, now did ah?"

McCoy blinked, eyes flickering down to see Scotty's lips, then back up the the man's eyes.

"Sometimes I really hate how you keep me in suspense."

H is for Hopeful.

When McCoy goes down with the landing party, Scotty is always hopeful that his lover will make it back, that his doctor will get his stubborn ass back to the ship and back to his man.

When Scotty goes down with the landing party, McCoy is hopeful, scared, and angry all at the same time, because he has noticed that the people serving on the ship who wear red shirts are more likely to die.

They're both extremely relieved to see the other once more however, no matter who is the one beaming back up to the ship.

I is for Ignorant.

For a few days after they met, Scotty wasn't sure how to classify what he was feeling when he saw Leonard McCoy.

It made him feel all bubbly inside, a feeling that was taking over his every sense and every waking moment.

It struck him one day when he was in sickbay.

After all, he could only remain ignorant for so long.

J is for Justified.

"Bones, did you have to knock him so far into unconsciousness?"

A sigh, rolled eyes. "Jim, he was babbling and hallucinating, damn it! I didn't want him to have to see his worst fears in the real world like that!"

"Bones, you're hiding something, aren't you?"

"If I'm hiding it, what makes you think I'd tell you?"

"Because you're my best friend, no matter how much of an idiot you can be at times."

"Anyways, back to my hypo-spraying of your head engineer. It was perfectly justified."

"You love him!"

"Damn it Jim, be careful or you're next!"

K is for Kilt.

Scotty bit his bottom lip as he packed his bag, tears sliding down his face quietly.

With a whoosh, McCoy walked into their quarters, steps slowing as he noticed his lover crying.

Heaving a sigh that he didn't really mean, he walked closer, wrapping his arms around Scotty's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Ah dunno iff'n Ah'll be alright Doc..." he whispered, turning his head so his cheek was against McCoy's.

McCoy nodded. "Your last remaining relative just called you and told you that your father died, it's understandable Monty."

Scotty picked up his kilt, packing it neatly into his bag. "Leonard? What would yeh do iff'n ah told yeh ah didn' want ta go alone?"

McCoy smiled softly, kissing his cheek.

"I would say that you should find a spare bag for me, because I'm not making you face this alone."

L is for Laughter.

All McCoy ever wants to hear is Scotty's laughter.

The stupid old Terran adage about "Laughter is the best medicine" always irritated him. Always has, always will.

Until the day he met Scotty.

All it takes is a few seconds of the other man's laughter to make him feel like there's nothing that can't be done.

M is for Momentous.

It was a momentous occasion when Doctor Leonard H McCoy got engaged again.

People were even more surprised when Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott got engaged.

It was even bigger when everyone found out they were engaged to each other.

But Scotty and Bones just smiled and went on their ways.

N is for Nicknames.

Leonard McCoy's nickname is obvious, it stemmed from what he said to Jim the day they met on the shuttle.

Except for one thing.

He wasn't exactly telling the truth, his ex-wife didn't take everything but his bones, she also left his heart.

Scotty smiles when he hears his nickname from Leonard. Whatever tone of voice the good doctor is saying it in, he doesn't care as long as it's said.

So when Scotty is sitting in engineering, pulling a double shift, and an exhausted Bones comes in, eyes bleary and voice tired, he'll listen as long as his name gets said.

"Monty...Please come to bed soon."

O is for Obsession.

Montgomery Scott had an obsession.

If most people heard this sentence, they would immediately assume that it was his ship, or his office, or maybe even the engine room of his ship.

And if anyone ever guessed these things, he would smile, chuckle quietly, then shake his head, remaining silent about it.

His obsession was known only to himself and his lover, Leonard H McCoy.

Hell, his obsession WAS his lover.

He couldn't go a day without talking to him, without seeing him, without touching him in some way, running his fingers through his hair.

He was obsessed.

But he didn't mind.

Neither did McCoy, he was too busy enjoying his obsession.

Which was a Scottish man in a red engineering shirt, working in the bowels of the ship to keep everything working right.

P is for Pain.

Their first kiss was through a haze of pain, McCoy not even sure if he would remember it later on.

McCoy had beamed down with the landing party, ending up getting a bullet in his side, from a twenty-first century gun with real lead bullets.

All the other doctors being occupied with survivors of the war that they were transporting, McCoy had had no other choice but to try and treat it himself, getting as far as removing a few of the shards before nearly passing out in his office chair, eyes half closed and side bleeding tremendously.

It was then Scotty had walked in, seen the pain the doctor was in, and woken him up to get instructions on how to fix it.

After the wound was cleaned out, sewn up, bandaged and done with, Scotty had kissed McCoy, lips grazing over the others softly, then pulling back.

McCoy had looked at him in confused anger, then demanded he come back and kiss him again, he hadn't quite felt that right.

Scotty argued against it, siting the pain the doctor was in.

McCoy just shook his head, dragging him down and wrapping his arms around the other mans shoulders.

Q is for Quiet.

When it's quiet, they cease to be the people everyone else sees.

When it's quiet, their titles, jobs, all of it, is stripped away.

When it's quiet, they become Monty and Leo, just two men able to curl up in bed together and whisper to the other, or even just not say anything at all.

In the quiet, they can be themselves and just soak in their love for the other one.

R is for Red-shirt.

McCoy had to admit, that he was a lot less worried about his lover when the man wore a different colored shirt.

He often times scoffed at the theory he had made in his head about the red-shirt that most engineering men and women wore, pushing it aside as paranoia.

But the day Scotty wore a blue-shirt as a stand in medical aid, accidents relating to him went down about 99%.

McCoy watched as Scotty stared incredulously at the beam that had come loose from the building they were in.

It had come down swinging, hitting and killing one ensign and injuring another.

But Scotty had still been wearing that blue-shirt.

The beam had come to a stop, a scant few inches from his feet.

The ensigns that had been hit were red-shirt wearers, but Scotty had been wearing a medical shirt.

McCoy went back and looked through his own theory, slightly worried.

"Scotty?"

"Aye Doc?"

"You're not going to be wearing a red-shirt for a while. Stay in that blue-shirt, wear a yellow-shirt, just don't wear or even touch a red-shirt for the next couple of days."

Scotty looked worried for his sanity, but nodded when he noticed the color of the dead man's shirt.

S is for Stolen.

Scotty smiled as he hid in McCoy's office.

He had stolen the man's uniform shirt and ran, turning a corner quickly and then pausing, waiting to hear if the good doctor was following. He was.

Working quickly, he pulled off his own and pulled on McCoy's, smiling wider as he smelled the other man's scent permeating the fabric.

"You know, there are other ways to smell me, however creepy that is, other than stealing my shirt that I was wearing when I'm talking to the captain."

Scotty turned to him, only slightly startled. "Aye, but Ah see no other way ta getcha inta yer office an' away from Cap'n Kirk."

"And why would you want to get me away from him?"

Before McCoy could really blink, Scotty had stolen something else, making his mouth otherwise occupied.

T is for Terminated.

Scotty lay, as he had for the last three months, in the bed in Sickbay.

McCoy had been temporarily removed from his duties, for emotionally compromising himself.

Christine Chapel walked in. "Doctor...The captain says it is time to choose."

McCoy nodded, still looking down at his hands.

"I don't want him lying there, brain-dead, for the rest of his natural life and beyond."

Christine nodded. "Alright."

McCoy stayed where he was, not being able to walk into the other room and watch as his lover's life support was terminated.

His head snapped up as the monitoring machine beeped, and not just telling the man's heart beat.

Rushing into the other room, he grabbed hold of Scotty's hand, whispering "Don't touch anything!"

The monitor beeped again, then once more before Scotty opened his eyes behind his oxygen mask.

"Leo..." came the harsh whisper as the man closed his eyes once more, monitor still showing him as awake.

Kirk smiled from where he was standing with his hand on the machine that had been the only thing keeping the CE alive for three months.

U is for Unbroken.

Scotty watched as McCoy slept, smoothing a hand through the man's hair, brushing dark brown locks back from closed dark blue eyes. He sighed contentedly, a small smile working it's way onto his lips.

It had taken months, he remembered, but he had finally gotten McCoy's heart to be unbroken, as if his ex-wife had never ripped it out and stomped on it.

He lay down, fingers twisting around the sleeping man's, pulling his hand up and kissing the knuckles softly.

He nuzzled the man's chin with his cheek, then lay still, head resting right above his heart.

Here, here he could be unbroken, and here, McCoy could remain unbroken.

V is for Vision.

Scotty laughed quietly, McCoy glaring at him. "Ah'm sorreh Leo, but yeh gotta admi' i's funneh...For all yer admonishin' about being careful with yer eyes, yeh have ta get glasses."

McCoy's glare deepened. "They're only reading glasses, damn it..."

Perched on his nose were a pair of black wire framed glasses, in his prescription, and the current source of his annoyance.

"Yeh gotta be careful Leo, yeh might lose yer vision entirely one day."

McCoy nodded. "...Monty?"

"Ya?"

Suddenly shy, he looked down at his desk. "You'll still be there on that day, right?"

Scotty stopped laughing, eyes going wide. "Of course! Leo, I'll be there no matter wha'!" he leaned forward, placing a kiss on the doctor's cheek. "I'll be there ta help yeh through the dark."

McCoy smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Then I won't mind going blind, as long as you're there."

W is for Working.

McCoy would often be found working hard to catch up to all the paperwork he had to do, eyebrows furrowed and temper snapping like fire, eyes glaring at anyone who dared to interrupt him.

Until Scotty walked in.

Whatever he was working on would be pushed to the side of his desk, making room for Scotty to lift him up and set him there, attached to his lips and cheeks flushed a bright red.

They would head to either one's quarters, where they would do another sort of working.

McCoy had a scary work ethic, but it was blown to dust the moment he saw Scotty.

X is for Xenolinguistics.

Uhura may have been the only person with a degree in Xenolinguistics, but Scotty would bet that McCoy had a better chance of calming someone down when they didn't want to be calmed.

His words came out harsh and rough most of the time, especially when he was angry, but the moment he came across a hurt child, his words would go soft and soothing, making sure the child knew they were okay and that everything was going to be alright.

When Jim Kirk had nearly died during a mission, his voice turned angry, but brotherly and affectionate, worried but mad.

He would swear and curse his way through a couple of sentences, then patch the captain up and send him off again with instructions on how to take care of it.

And when he was alone with Scotty...

The engineer blushed.

When he was alone with Scotty, his voice went smooth and velvety, words chosen specifically for the man. When they were alone, McCoy dropped control of his accent, his Alabama drawl coming through and soothing every nerve Scotty had.

Uhura may be Xenolinguistics officer, but McCoy had a more talented tongue and gift of speech.

Y is for Yelling.

Sometimes they could be heard yelling at each other, mostly right after McCoy had been beamed down and hurt.

Kirk would wince whenever he heard his CMO yelling back and fourth with his CEO, wondering if he should go and separate the two. McCoy would go quiet for a few seconds, and then Scotty would go quiet as well, causing Kirk to sit back down and hope they were okay.

What he never saw was the looks of fear and love that flashed through the eyes of the two men, the anger whenever they saw that someone had dared to hurt the other.

Whenever Kirk heard yelling, he assumed that Scotty was mad about something to do with the transporter, and when he heard McCoy, he always assumed that Scotty had done something almost un-fixable.

But it was Scotty wanting McCoy to be a little more careful, they had taken to patching each other up after missions.

It was McCoy reprimanding Scotty for getting in the way of danger and getting himself hurt.

No one else knew, but the yelling was them showing that they loved the other man, the yelling was a show of worry.

Z is for Zoloft.

Usually, when someone's loved one dies, McCoy would prescribe them Zoloft, to keep them from being depressed.

If that failed, he would administer a sleeping drug in hypo-spray form, to keep them from overdosing and killing themselves.

These two actions were something he never hoped to do to anyone aboard the ship.

Especially when there were three couples to protect besides himself and Scotty.


	3. Chulu

A is for Accent.

Hikaru Sulu loves Pavel Chekov's accent.

The way it gets thicker when he's passionate about whatever it is he's talking about, be it Russia or something on the Enterprise, it never stops making Sulu feel like he's won some sort of privilege.

Pavel Chekov loves Hikaru Sulu's ever so slight accent.

The way his voice lilts whenever he's talking, no matter what he's saying, with that slight Asian accent.

They'll never get enough of the others voice.

B is for Bold.

Pavel Chekov, age seventeen, had thought he could never do something bold.

He'd been talking with Sulu one night, when his hand reached over and grabbed Sulu's without asking.

He'd immediately blushed and stammered an apology, accent sliding thickly over the words as he got more and more flustered.

But then Sulu had done the most wonderful thing ever.

He'd smiled.

Not only had he let Pavel keep hold of his hand, but he'd smiled about it.

Pavel just about fainted right there.

Except then his body did something even more bold without his approval.

An hour later he could still feel Sulu's lips on his own, even though he was sure that it wasn't supposed to feel like that.

C is for Caveat.

"Pavel!" Sulu shouted, forcing the Russian boy to turn quickly.

The caveat came too late however, the plant Sulu was studying coming to wrap around the boy's waist.

Sulu groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

"Meester Sulu, vhat is zis?"

Sulu winced, hands squeezing the sides of his face tighter so he wouldn't have to look up. "It's a plant that senses the hormones of the people who touch it..."

Pavel chuckled.

"And vhat does zis mean tovards me?"

Sulu looked up at him. "...Will you go on a date with me?"

Pavel nodded eagerly.

D is for Deadly.

Hikaru Sulu was deadly with a sword, this fact was something Pavel Chekov was very well acquainted with.

What he had never counted on was that, despite how deadly his best friend and boy-friend was with a sword, none of it measured up to how protectively deadly he was when Pavel was threatened.

E is for Energize.

Pavel was frantic, desperately clicking controls and throwing switches, nearly crying out every time it didn't work, every time he heard Hikaru yell for the ship to beam him back up.

Finally Scotty couldn't take it anymore.

"Lad, Ah'll be goin' down thar myself, alright?"

Pavel nodded, eyes wide and scared when he heard Hikaru yell again.

Scotty stood on the pad and smiled reassuringly at him. "Energize."

When the two missing members of the Enterprise beamed back up, even before Bones got to either of them, Pavel was holding tightly to Hikaru, whispering things quickly in a frenzied mixture of Russian and English. Nobody would ever mention it again, but seeing the seventeen year old cry was scary.

F is for Fencing.

Hikaru smiled as he watched his boy-friend once more fumble and drop the practice sword that he was trying to teach him fencing with.

"Nyet! I'll newer get zis Heekaru...Is too hard, I'm simply not good enough."

Hikaru shook his head. "You can do anything you put your mind to, you've beamed up people from when they were falling through the air and about to hit the ground, namely myself and the captain, I know you can do anything you want."

Pavel blushed bright red at his lover's words. "Da...But is not just ze sport I'm newer learning, is ze fact zat you practice in...Vell...Zat!"

Hikaru looked down at himself. "What's wrong with my practice clothes?"

"Zey are just pants! No shirt..." Pavel trailed off.

Hikaru looked at him again. "So you're saying you can't learn fencing because your teacher is distracting you?"

"Da!"

G is for Girls.

'Girls are weird.' young Pavel Chekov once thought.

Now, about twelve years later, he once more thought the same thing, only this time he was staring at the naked torso of Hikaru Sulu as he practiced fencing.

Now he finally knew why he thought girls were weird.

H is for Handsome.

Pavel knew that Hikaru was handsome.

He knew it as a fact, like he knew he could breath oxygen. It was just pure fact, nothing could change it, not even if he were to get hundreds of scars marring his skin. Even then he would still be quite something to look at.

Pavel knows that he isn't anywhere near as good look, nowhere near as handsome.

He looks down at himself and sees nothing that anyone would like, from pale teenager skin to frumpy curls that couldn't make up their minds about being brown, red or blonde, so it looks blonde with random hints of the other two colors.

He isn't muscle at all, and he's pudgy.

But when Hikaru wraps his arms around his waist and rests his chin on his shoulder, telling him that he's gorgeous, how could he have ever deserved him, how could Pavel think anything nice about Hikaru looks...

Well...Pavel's smile is bright enough to almost blind someone.

I is for independent.

Pavel Chekov gained independence when he turned seventeen and was taken into space by Star-fleet.

His mother was proud of him, his father the same.

But neither of them understood why he had chosen a life so far away, so unlike theirs that it made him seem almost a different species.

But, they shrugged, he was their son and they would support him in everything he wanted to do.

When Pavel Chekov saw space for the first time, his world changed.

Pavel Chekov gained independence at the age of seventeen when he moved away from his parents to do what he loved.

But he gained freedom when he found out that he loved space more than anywhere else in the universe.

J is for Juvenile.

Hikaru Sulu was many things.

However, a stoic serious bastard was not one of them.

So when his best friend invites him to a water balloon fight during shore leave, he can't help but accept.

Which was how he got to where he currently was.

Hiding in between some bushes, a water balloon held in his hand as he watched Pavel Chekov hiding behind a tree and doing the same thing he was.

Hikaru smiled.

Being juvenile was fun sometimes.

K is for Kinetic.

The first time they had ever seen each other was briefly at a market, after Chekov's parents had immigrated and Sulu's parents had needed to go food shopping.

Chekov had been only about four at the time, Sulu had been only about ten.

Chekov had hidden partially behind his mother's skirt, grasping tightly to his stuffed dog and eyes wide as the Asian boy looked at him, studying him.

They hadn't been aware (how could they be? They were children.) but a force had been set into motion that day.

Years later, when Chekov was thirteen and Sulu was nineteen and they were roommates in the Star fleet academy, the same kinetic force pressed them to get to know the other.

Chekov pulled the same stuffed dog out of his box of things, smiling at it before setting it on his bed.

Sulu turned to him. "Hi...I'm Hikaru Sulu, I'm studying to be a pilot."

"I'm studyingh to be a nawigator...I'm Pavel Andreievich Chekow..." he muttered quietly, cheeks flushed red.

Sulu smiled. "Welcome to Star Fleet, Pavel Andreievich Chekov."

He walked over to the younger. "It's not nearly as scary as it seems here."

L is for Lost.

Pavel searched frantically through his belongings.

Only one day officially out of Academy, and he'd already messed something up!

A knock on his door startled him.

Crossing the room, he punched in the entrance code. "Come in!"

Hikaru walked in, still looking a little beat up from having to pilot through the whole mess with the Nerada. "Hey Pavel."

"Meester Sulu! Is good to see you!" the Russian smiled, then turned back to his boxes and started the search all over again.

Sulu frowned. "What's wrong?"

"My Afanasiy is missing! I'we lost my Afanasiy!"

"Your what?"

"Is little dog, ze one I'we had at my my side since I vas two years old!"

Sulu walked forward, a huge grin on his face as he pulled something out from his pocket. "That would be why I came to visit you. Is this your dog?"

Pavel looked at him, then down at his hands, a grin breaking out on his own face. Hugging his stuffed dog tightly, not caring that he got Sulu's hand caught in the hug as well, he sighed happily. "Da! Zis is what I vas missingh!"

M is for Momentary.

Occasionally, Pavel will be reaching for a control on his station, and occasionally, it'll be on at the very edge, right near Hikaru's station.

Occasionally, Hikaru will be reaching for the same area, a different control, but the same area.

Their hands will brush, only momentary, but enough for them to send a small smile sideways to the other.

It was another thing that was only momentary, but it was only sometimes enough for them.

N is for Nervous.

Hikaru Sulu was an extremely nervous man right now.

He'd practiced his speech over and over again, he'd made plans so many times on how he would start the conversation, he'd planned everything to the very last second.

All of that still didn't make him any less nervous about what he was going to say to his long time boyfriend.

He sighed, shoving a hand in his pocket and playing with what he found there, a soft smile playing across his face. All he needed to remember was that Pavel loved him, a lot. And he loved Pavel, which was why he was even doing this. He wanted to do this so that Pavel would know how much he was loved.

Later that night, after a lovely dinner and star gazing (A skill which Pavel had picked up from him. The young Russian was NOT able to sit still by himself.) He pulled the thing out of his pocket, popping open the little black box in front of his boyfriend's face.

Clearing his thoat, the entire practiced speech ran out of his mind as he was faced with the wide eyes of his love.

"Pav...Will you marry me?"

O is for Outrun.

He couldn't do it.

Had Pavel still been conscious, he could have been the one to complete the mission, but Hikaru Sulu was a fencer, not a runner, not like the sweet Russian boy laying in his arms as they hid in a cave. Their communications had been cut off and the Enterprise was under attack. Somewhere on this planet was Spock, but they couldn't find him, not without venturing from their safe spot.

If one of them could outrun the enemy, then they could fix this without much delay.

But Hikaru Sulu wasn't a runner, he didn't have the speed that they needed for this. He couldn't do it and he couldn't manage to wake up his unconscious friend. Chekov had been hit in the head by something, some debris that had come flying out of nowhere as they had been running. He had twisted and collapsed, Sulu pausing in his movement only long enough to get him to safety.

Looking around, he grimaced. There really was no good option here.

"Meester Sulu..." came the weak voice, so quiet he almost didn't hear it. "I can do zat, just he..." he broke off, coughing, face scrunched up. "Just help me get to a standing, I can do eet from zere."

Sulu looked down at him.

Maybe they could outrun it after all.

P is for Protecting.

Sulu glared at the man in front of him, arms busy keeping Chekov hidden behind his back.

It was just their ships luck to run into one of the Romulans who had escaped the fate of the Star-Ship Nerada.

Who currently had a gun pointed at them. "Will you be moving or will you allow yourself to be killed? I'm only really in the mood to kill one of you, I don't want to have to go away from what I want to do."

Sulu took a step back, still hiding Chekov and keeping him safe. "I don't want you touching him, so I'll be protecting him until the day I die, alright?"

The Romulan smirked, raising his gun higher. "Then you're the one to die."

Chekov squirmed, trying to push Sulu's arms down. "Meester Sulu, please! Do not do zis!"

Sulu muttered to him without looking back. "Pavel...I love you, and I meant what I said about protecting you. Until the day I die, I will be keeping you safe. I was just hoping that this wasn't the day."

Chekov's eyes widened. "No! Nyet! You are not dyingh today!"

They were so busy arguing the point that neither of them noticed Spock Vulcan Nerve-pinching the angry Romulan.

"I do believe that neither of you will die today." Spock told them solemnly.

Q is for Quiet.

Pavel Chekov sometimes couldn't stand quiet and silence.

This was due mostly to all the times he could remember it being quiet, something bad had happened. Whether it was his mom and dad fretting over money, or his sister disappearing only to turn up hours later, he was scared of the quiet.

So he would drown it out.

He would talk to people, he would hum, he would tap his fingers, he would make any sort of noise that he could.

So when Hikaru would insist on sitting there in the quiet, subjecting Pavel to his fear and anger, he would submit to his boy-friends wishes. He would sit there in the quiet, not saying a word, just cuddling with the one he loved.

And, he found, the quiet didn't bother him as much with the Asian man around.

The quiet was comfortable for once.

R is for Retirement.

Pavel Chekov liked asking questions.

He liked, in particular, asking about his alternate self, gaining knowledge of the man from Spock-Prime.

One day he asked the old half Vulcan if his older self had retired or not.

Spock-Prime just looked at him, a soft barely there smile on his face. "I believe that my timeline produced a version of you that did not relieve himself of his post until he was well past his mid fourties. He retired, if I recall, when his partner was ready to go with him."

Chekov tried asking who the partner was, but Spock-Prime only replied "They had a relatively calm retirement together. They married when they were younger, so they lived out their lives as a happily married couple."

After talking to the old Spock, Pavel reported for his shift.

When his eye caught onto Sulu, he blushed.

If the retirement was with him, he wouldn't mind.

S is for Submissive.

Pavel is submissive to Hikaru.

He is the one who is on the bottom, no matter how their days go.

He is the one who is looking shyly up at Sulu, cheeks flushed red and lips plumped and bitten from earlier kisses.

He is the one either on his back or straddling Sulu.

It's not because he's weak, or that Sulu gets off on control.

It's that they both know that Hikaru Sulu will take care of Pavel Chekov, not matter what.

T is for Tired.

In the aftermath of the whole Nerada/Nero thing, neither Pavel Chekov, nor Hikaru Sulu were feeling up to doing much.

None of the other crew members were up to much either, but that was beside the point.

During the whole incident, Chekov, Sulu, and Scotty were the ones the ship relied on most. Scotty was taken care of (or so Sulu assumed when he had heard...Some kinds of noises...Coming from the Medical Bay. No one else had that accent...) But Chekov and the asian man himself were still a little frazzled and tired. This was taken care of one day when Chekov had muttered something about being tired. Sulu had smiled softly and taken the younger to his quarters.

Later on, when the captain had gone searching for them, he'd found the asian man on his bed, the younger male resting his head over his heart, both asleep.

U is for Unusual.

It's not unusual for Pavel Chekov to be smiling. He is seen smiling so often that it seems to be his default expression.

It is unusual though, for the smile to disappear.

Which is what it did the day that Hikaru Sulu died.

After a while, it became unusual if he was seen smiling.

V is for Vindictive.

Fate is vindictive.

Sulu learned this when he had to watch the older Spock sit alone in the dining hall. it had been a shock to the entirety of the crew when the old vulcan had seemingly popped up out of nowhere, but to those who knew the story, it came as no surprise.

He watches the older caress something hanging around his neck, eyes half closed as he sighs and runs his thumb over it. Sulu thinks, sometimes to himself, that falling in love isn't worth it, not when fate seems to have it out for the crew of the starship Enterprise.

But when he looks at the grinning redheaded boy genius next to him at the control panels, everything he has gone through, all the pain and heartbreak and worry...

When he sees him smiling, it all seems worth it.

W is for Why?

"Because sometimes even the captain has to follow orders."

"Da...But Vhy?"

X is for Xerophyte

"...Vhy is is doing zat?"

Sulu watched as the plant curled up in the sudden breeze from the ships systems.

"It's bred to be a desert plant...A bit like a cactus, actuallly."

He smiled at the younger as he examined the plant. "Zere is a name for zat, da?"

"It's called a Xerophyte plant...bred for dry desert like conditions."

He leaned in closer to the younger, Pavel himself leaning in as well, their hands almost touching...

"Sulu, how the hell can you stand this place right now?"

He was going to MURDER the good doctor.

Chekov pulled back, his cheeks dusted a healthy shade of pink, his hand immediately in his own lap.

Sulu sent a dangerous glare at McCoy, the doctor raising an eyebrow at him, then looking at Pavel. Smirking, he shrugged, mouthing the words 'Flirt later.'

Death for the good doctor. Sulu swore it. DEATH.

Y is for Yangtze

It was a clever recreation of the river that had flown through Sulu's home when he was a small child.

Except that it was pink.

Sulu stared in awe as he watched the beautiful river miniature flow around the model it was on, blinking whenever he realized yet again that it was PINK.

Chekov giggled at him and grasped his hand in his own, entwining their fingers.

This supply trip was over fairly quickly.

Pavel Chekov though, was nothing if not a genius.

And their next shore leave had him staring in awe at the real river, that he could see from his hotel window.

Hikaru just wrapped his arms around the others waist and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck, now exposed from the recent haircut. (The one that Pasha always insisted upon whenever his hair grew even half an inch too long. Thank whatever gods were listening that his phase of straightening his hair hadn't lasted long. It'd left the red-gold locks scraggly and sad looking for a month and a half.)

Z is for Zither

They weren't quite sure where they had stumbled across one this far out in space, and they weren't sure why exactly Pavel Chekov had it in his hands...But everyone wanted to find out.

It wasn't until Pavel had started playing softly that they had understood. He was singing something softly in Russian, and he was smiling, his fingers and the small metal shape dancing over the strings of the instrument.

Sulu watched, entranced, as his young boyfriend played the Zither extremely well, not sure if he was imagining things or not.

"Eet may not hawe been inwented in Russia...But eet is a good instrument." Chekov said quietly, looking up at their captain, then stealing a glance at Hikaru.

Sulu grinned as he sat there, watching the younger play to his hearts content, soon joined by Spock, playing his small harp quietly. Uhura sang softly as well, making the music lively and beautiful, beyond what the instruments could.

It wasn't professional music at all, none of them would even consider leaving the Enterprise to pursue it...

But out here, in the middle of space, in between the stars and planets, most still unexplored, it made them into a family.


End file.
